


Christmas Cookies

by insertnerdyjokehere



Category: Star Trek: Alternate Original Series (Movies)
Genre: Academy Era, M/M, Shapeshifting
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-24
Updated: 2014-12-24
Packaged: 2018-03-03 08:56:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,024
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2845292
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/insertnerdyjokehere/pseuds/insertnerdyjokehere
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>There's no use hiding things from Jim Kirk.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Christmas Cookies

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Laipin](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Laipin/gifts).



> Secret Santa gift for Laipin!

His first mistake, really, was trusting Jim Kirk. Well, Leonard did trust Jim. It had only been a couple months at the academy and Jim was already becoming one of the best friends Leonard had ever had, except of course, Dr. Snuffles, the stuffed teddy bear he had owned when he was eight. He trusted Jim with his life. He just apparently couldn’t trust that Jim wouldn’t go snooping into his things when the temptation of home baked goods were on the line. Walking into their dorm room he found Jim rummaging through a box filled with cookies and other Christmas gifts. There was a cookie hanging out of Jim’s mouth when he realized he’d been caught. He jammed the rest of it into his mouth and tried to quickly chew it, underestimating the chewiness of a Mama McCoy molasses cookie. Jim stood there chewing as McCoy crossed his arms and waited for an explanation, tapping his foot in beat with Jim chews.

After what could have easily been five minutes, Jim swallowed with a loud gulp “It said ‘from Mom.’ How was I supposed to know that it was for you?”

McCoy pursed his lips and nodded his head in agreement, pretending to consider Jim’s words. “Oh, I don’t know Jim,” he waved an arm toward the package, “maybe the big letters that say ‘ _TO. LEONARD._ ’” He looked at Jim expectantly.

“That uhhh… that was a nickname I had as a kid.” Taking Leonards sigh as permission, Jim continued to shuffle through the Christmas package that Leonard’s mother sent to him. “These are really good. I don’t think I’ve ever had home baked Christmas cookies before,” He pulled out another bag and looked at them curiously, “Why are these shaped like bones? That’s not very Christmasy.” He opened the bag and grabbed one, examining it more closely.

Bones’ head snapped in Jim’s direction and time seemed to slow as Jim shrugged and lifted the cookie towards his mouth. He reached out a hand to stop him, a protest forming on his lips, but it was too late. Jim bit down on the cookie, went wide eyed, and frantically grabbed a paper towel to spit the cookie in. 

“What the hell is that?”

“It’s a cookie,” Bones avoided eye contact with Jim, the carpet suddenly becoming the most interesting thing in the room. He had never noticed that stain before and he kind of wished he never had.

“Why does it taste like a dog biscuit?" 

Bones looked upward hoping for some sort of higher being to grant him mercy, but when nothing happened he closed his eyes for a moment before answering “Because it is a dog biscuit.”

“Oh.” Jim seemed to consider his options before continuing “So… do you just have a thing for dog biscuits or…” He trailed off and made a vague sweeping motion with his hand.

Part of Bones was thankful for the easy out that Jim had given him. Well, admitting you liked to eat dog biscuits might not be easy but he could easily play it off as a joke and then they wouldn’t have to have this conversation. On the other hand, Jim was his friend and the longer he waited to tell him the more awkward it was gonna be. Still, if this conversation was gonna happen Bones needed a drink. He walked over to the kitchen and pulled out a glass and poured himself a couple fingers of bourbon. He took a sip to steady himself “I’m a shifter. My mom always makes me those biscuits for Christmas. Bit of an inside joke.”

“Is that why you have that weird thing about eating chocolate?” Bones glared as Jim continued, “You know you’d have to eat your weight in it for it to kill you?”

“Shut up.”

“Dogs also aren’t supposed to eat onions or coffee,” he paused and waited until Bones took a sip of his bourbon “or alcohol.”

“I’m not a _dog_ I’m a-” he stopped as he noticed Jim’s teasing grin. “Is that really all you have to say? I mean, does it bother you?”

Jim set the bag of dog biscuits down on the counter. Rummaging through the package again he found a bag of what looked like gingersnaps and examined it closely. “Bones, it’s not like shifters are unheard of. I’ve met a couple before. Generally nice people. Except for that one guy but he was a dick in general. They’re just people who happen to be able to change into animals. It’s the 23rd century. We’re over that whole ‘hating people because of differences’ thing.” Deciding that these ones looked safe enough he shoved an entire cookie in his mouth and continued while chewing, “so, how long has it been since you last shifted?”

Ignoring Jim’s lack of manners, Bones mumbled something. Jim inhaled sharply which caused him to choke on the last bits of cookie. He coughed and hit his chest, looking at Bones as if he had grown another head, “Five _months_. Are you crazy? Isn’t that dangerous to shifters? No wonder you look like you're about to pass out. Don’t think I haven’t noticed.” He ran a hand through his hair “I mean, I thought it was just classes and your clinic duties getting to you but going without shifting is like holding your breath till you lose brain cells! Why haven’t you shifted?”

“I don’t want to,” Bones put his glass down on the counter and walked away from Jim.

“Why not? You’re putting yourself in danger, Bones!”

Bones swung around and shouted “Because I’m afraid to alright?!” he was breathing hard as panic started to overcome his senses “Because the last time I shifted was before all the shit went down with Joce and Dad and shifting just- it reminds me of a time when I still- when I-” he quickly lost steam and hung his head and whispered “and I’m just afraid that if I shift I won’t be able to come back.”

Jim was silent for a moment until Bones looked up at him. “Well hey, don’t worry about it.” His casualness immediately made Bones’ temper flare up. This was a deeply personal matter and Jim was just brushing it off as if it were nothing. Even though Bones had never confessed his shifting in a drunken night with Jim, there was plenty that he had. Jim knew about his father getting sick, about catching Joce in bed with another man, about not having anything left but his bones. That was all old news. It had been a long time since Bones had trusted someone with his deepest secrets and in return Jim blows if off as no big deal. Seeing Bones temper rise again, Jim held up his hands and further explained “What I mean is you don’t have to worry about shifting back because I’ll be here. Make sure you don’t lose yourself.”

Bones' anger deflated like a balloon.“You’d do that?” It was Jim’s turn to look angry at Bones’ lack of trust.

“Of course I would. Now go.” He made a shooing gesture with his hands.

“Wha- You want me to shift right now?”

“No, I want to wait until you hurt yourself. Dammit Bones, you’re a doctor. You can’t yell at me for getting a paper cut when you won’t take care of yourself. Now go shift and I’ll wait here.”

“That was one time,” he said under his breath as he headed towards his room. He stole a nervous glance at Jim.

“I mean.” Jim seemed to realize how pushy he was being. Bones hadn’t really asked him to stay and despite their quick and easy road to friendship, Jim didn’t know if Bones actually wanted him there. “If you want me to go…”

Something tightened in Bones’ chest “I don’t.” he smiled slightly and Jim gave a tight nod. “Just… don’t laugh at my tail,” he called over his shoulder and continued into his room.

 

The door shut behind Leonard. He could do this. It wasn’t a big deal.

Buying for time, he slowly undressed and folded his uniform. He left his boxers, figuring that the energy used in shifting with them on would be worth avoiding the embarrassment of shifting back in front of Jim naked. If he managed to shift back that was. No, Jim would be there and make sure that nothing bad happened. He trusted Jim.

Jim had been right, going for a long period without shifting was like holding your breath but the problem was Leonard felt like he was underwater and it wasn’t as simple as taking a breath.

He sat on his bed in his boxer shorts and tried to remember what it felt when he transformed. He emptied his mind of all his worries and focused on the good. Jim would be there. He had nothing to fear. His limbs began to tingle and he shut his eyes. The familiar shift of muscles felt so good it ached. Breaking through the surface of the sea he had been under, for the first time since his father died, Leonard _breathed._

 

As soon as the door shut Jim went to pour himself a glass of bourbon. On second thought, he grabbed the abandoned glass and finished it off. It should concern Jim how deeply he cared for Bones and in return how much Bones trusted him. Jim had never really had a friend like the grumpy doctor before and for some reason his well being mattered to Jim almost as much as his own. There was a word that Jim wasn’t quite ready to use but he secretly admitted to himself that his feelings toward Bones might not be entirely platonic.

He stood there leaning against the counter for a few minutes, wondering how long Bones was going to take. Just as Jim started to get worried he heard a light scratching noise at Bones’ door. He kicked himself for not realizing that Bones wouldn’t be able to open the door on his own.

Walking over to the door he took a deep breath, preparing himself for whatever was on the other side. There was another impatient scratch and Jim opened the door.

On the other side was a beautiful dark brown wolf. He was larger than any dog Jim had ever seen and he automatically took a step back. The wolf’s fur was the same color as Bones’ hair but the coat looked dull as if he were malnourished. Looking into his eyes Jim saw the same familiar hazel that he saw on a daily basis. “Bones?” Jim held up his hands to show that he wasn’t a threat.

The wolf, _Bones,_ Jim told himself, merely rolled his eyes and walked past Jim into the living room. Obviously, Bones’ personality was still there and he was absolutely able to understand Jim. He could almost hear Bones calling him an idiot.

Jim followed Bones into the living room and watched as he stalked around and smelled everything. After circling the room a couple times he sat down on his haunched and looked at Jim expectantly.

Jim was momentarily confused until he saw the wolf glance at the package still on the counter and his tail twitched in what might have been the beginnings of a wag. He smirked at Bones “You wanna cookie?” Bones’ ears twitched and he immediately turned his head, pretending to be disinterested. “Coooooookie?” Jim teased again. Bones’ ears flattened against his head for a moment and Jim laughed as he walked over to the counter.

Jim grabbed the bag of bone shaped biscuits and his eyes widened as he got an idea. He grinned at Bones who seemed to know better. He gave Jim an irritated look and his ears went flat again. Jim ignored the glare and cleared his throat dramatically. With a stern face he theatrically pointed at the ground as if he were some great animal trainer “Sit.” Bones stared blankly at Jim, obviously above doing tricks “Come on Bones. Sit. I know you want a cookie.” His flattened ears lifted up reflexively  at the word but he immediately lowered them again, glowering. “Fine. Stay standing.” The wolf immediately sat. His tail twitched as he gave Jim a smug look. Jim snickered at the stubborn display.

“Whatever, I still got you to sit” he muttered under his breath but he still pulled out a cookie and offered it to Bones. An impressive set of teeth were seen as Bones carefully took the treat from Jim’s hand. Jim was surprised at how gentle Bones was, almost as if he was afraid of hurting Jim. Cookie in mouth, Bones laid down and began munching on the treat, obviously enjoying it. While he was distracted Jim crouched down and softly patted Bones on his head.

“You’re a big ol’ teddy bear aren't you?” Bones response was to blow out a displeased snort but he didn’t pull away. Bones sniffed Jim’s hand, looking for another treat. Not finding one he put his head on his paws and looked up at Jim. “I bet you just love being petted don’t you? Don’t you?” He knew Bones didn’t appreciate the baby talk but seemed to tolerate it as Jim more confidently stroked his head. The fur seemed to take on a more health sheen as Jim ran his fingers over it. The coarse fur smoothing out and becoming softer.

Bones seemed to slowly relax as Jim pet him. Taking a gamble, Jim scratched behind his ear and was rewarded with an immediate _whump_ as Bones’ tail hit the floor in what was obviously a wag. Jim pulled his hand away and Bones himself seemed startled by the sound and glared at his tail as if it had personally betrayed him. Jim’s laugh was cut short by a sneeze.

He had the decency to look apologetic as he sniffed “I’m kinda allergic to dogs.” Bones made another irritated snort and got up. Rolling his eyes, Jim followed Bones into his room where he pawed at the medkit stored under his bed. Jim sat on the bed and made a face but opened the kit and found the cartridge labeled “allergy repressor.” He loaded it into a hypospray and turned it towards Bones for affirmation. The wolf nodded and Jim grimaced as he gave himself the shot. Satisfied that Jim was now no longer in danger of an allergic reaction Bones pushed his head into Jim’s arm, demanding more pets.  

“Oh, so now you want pets.” Bones wagged his tail and seemed to no longer have any issues with being affectionate. Jim obliged him and stroked down his back. After a few minutes Jim got up and walked over to the couch. He sat down, shifting so his back was resting against the arm of the couch and his legs were outstretched. Bones didn’t even wait for a proper invitation. He just jumped up and laid down on Jim’s legs, resting his head in Jim's lap. 

“You’re heavy” a tail hit Jim’s foot as it wagged “Need to lay off those cookies.” The tail wagged harder. Jim snorted at how much a cuddle glutton Bones seemed to be. Grabbing a padd from the coffee table, Jim read some of his course work as he pet Bones’ head. They sat there for a few hours, content to just relax and be in each other's company.

Eventually Jim’s eyes became tired from reading the small words on the screen. Looking at the chrono revealed that it had been a couple hours. He rubbed his eyes and stretched, disturbing Bones who had fallen asleep. “I don’t know about you but I’m tired." Bones jumped off the couch and watched as Jim stood up. He popped his back and yawned. Bones yawned in return, showing off his sharp teeth. He shook from head to tail and then sat in front of Jim, looking nervously at him. “If you… I mean if you’re not ready... “ Bones continued to look up at Jim, pleading for something that he could ask for. “Come on Bones. There’s plenty of room for you on my bed.” Jim grabbed a cookie and gave it to Bones, who scarfed it down and wagged his tail as he followed Jim. 

Jim stripped down to his boxers and climbed into bed. Now that the initial permission was given, Bones had no issue with jumping up on the bed and flopping down on Jim and resting his head Jim’s chest. “Teddy bear.” Jim muttered to himself as he stroked down Bones’ back, noticing that his coat had a healthy shine to it now. “Lights, five percent.” Darkness and silence washed over them.

Bones let out a sigh and squirmed uncomfortably. “You don’t have to change back yet,” Jim whispered “But I know you can.” Bones trembled and closed his eyes and pressed his head harder into Jim’s chest. “It’s alright Bones. I’m right here.” The tension in the wolfs form eased and although he was still trembling it seemed more out of concentration then fear. Jim closed his eyes and stroked down the wolf’s back and felt the soft fur recede and muscles shift.

When Jim opened his eyes he was greeted with the sight of a very human Bones. His eyes were still tightly shut and his breaths were hard and deliberately slow as he continued to press his now human head against Jim's chest. Eventually his breathing became more relaxed and any tension that was still in him eased out. The two of them lay there for a while, comfortable in the other’s presence

“Thanks Jim,” his voice scratchy and low with sleep.

“Yeah, no problem Bones.” and then Jim pressed a kiss onto the top of Bones head. Today had been enough of a step forward on their relationship. There would be plenty of time for more confessions in the morning. For right now, they were comfortable. Not even bothering to get under the covers, Bones drifted off to sleep feeling safe, because his best decision really, was trusting Jim Kirk.


End file.
